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India – China agree to ‘de-escalate’ border tensions

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India and China have agreed to de-escalate tensions along their disputed border after a conversation between its leaders, a senior Indian official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping spoke on the sidelines of the Brics summit in South Africa on Wednesday.

Beijing said the meeting was held at Mr Modi’s request.

Relations between India and China have been worsening for more than three years.

The two world powers are facing off against each other along their ill-defined 3,440km (2,100-mile)-long border – known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – in the Himalayan region.

Mr Xi and Mr Modi met on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Johannesburg. The Brics countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – are often seen as a counterweight to the Western-led world.

On Thursday, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that both sides had agreed to step up efforts for the disengagement of troops along the LAC.

“The Prime Minister underlined that maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas and observing and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalisation of the India-China relationship,” Mr Kwatra said.

“In this regard, the two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation,” he added.

China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two leaders had “a candid and in-depth exchange of views on current China-India relations and other questions of shared interest”.

“President Xi stressed that improving China-India relations serves the common interests of the two countries and peoples, and is also conducive to peace, stability and development of the world and the region,” the statement said.

It also added: “The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border region.”

According to The Indian Express newspaper, no interpreters or note-takers were around when the two leaders spoke to each other.

Mr Xi and Mr Modi last spoke on the sidelines of the G20 summit in 2022.

Mr Xi is expected to arrive in India for the G20 summit hosted by Delhi on 9 and 10 September.

(BBC News)

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COVID subvariants spreading in Asia detected in Sri Lanka

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The Medical Research Institute of Sri Lanka has confirmed that the COVID-19 variant currently spreading in the Asian region has also been identified in the country.

Dr. Jude Jayamaha, a specialist in viral diseases at the Medical Research Institute, stated that patients infected with the Omicron subvariants LF.7 and XFG are being reported locally.

Dr. Jayamaha explained that this finding was confirmed through research conducted on biological samples collected from several hospitals across the island.

However, he emphasized that there is no need for undue fear regarding these COVID-19 variants.

Health authorities have also stressed the importance of vulnerable groups—such as pregnant mothers, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses—following health guidelines, including wearing face masks and avoiding crowded places.

Dr. Jayamaha reiterated that new COVID-19 variants emerge periodically, and health authorities are continuously monitoring the situation, so the public should remain calm.

(newswire.lk)

(This story, originally published by newswire.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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Anudi misses out from Miss World Quarter-Finals

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The Miss World organization has announced its quarter-finalists, selecting 40 contestants from across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Sri Lanka’s Anudi Gunasekara, was not selected in the top 40, despite being recognized for her impressive performances in the Multimedia and Head-to-Head challenges.

The top 40 consisted of 10 contestants each from Asia & Oceania, Europe, Africa and the Americas.

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Fuel prices unchanged

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The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) announced that there will be no revision of fuel prices for the month of June 2025.

Accordingly, all fuel prices will remain unchanged for June, it said.  

Existing fuel prices (per litre):

Auto Diesel – Rs. 274
Super Diesel – Rs. 325
Petrol 92 Octane – Rs. 293
Petrol 95 Octane – Rs. 341
Kerosene – Rs. 178

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